题目内容
President Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth today — that business institutions have more prestige (威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly (垄断) of power. In contrast to one all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers’ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves.
A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom.
Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic (贵族的) idea of inherited privilege.
1. The statement “The business of America is business” probably means______.
A. America is a great power in world business
B. Business is of primary concern to Americans
C. The business institutions in America are concerned with commerce
D. Business problems are of great importance to the American government
2. Americans believe that they can realize their personal values only ______.
A. by protecting their individual freedom
B. when given equality of opportunity
C. by way of competition
D. through doing business
3. Who can benefit from business competition?
A. People with ideals of equality and freedom.
B. Both business institutions and government.
C. Honest businessmen.
D. Both businessmen and their customers.
4. Government is believed to differ strikingly from business in that government is characterized by ______.
A. its role in protecting basic American values
B. its absolute control of power
C. its democratic way of exercising leadership
D. its function in preserving personal freedom
5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes ______.
A. in many countries success often depends on one’s social status
B. businesses in other countries are not as competitive as those in America
C. American businesses are more democratic than those in other countries
D. Americans are more ambitious than people in other countries
B
C
D
B
A
【解析】略
It was an afternoon Truman would never forget．
Rayburn and his friend were talking in the office before Truman arrived. The telephone rang. It was a call from the White House asking whether Vice-President Truman had arrived yet. No, Rayburn replied. The caller asked to have him telephone the White House as soon as he arrived.
Truman entered a minute later. He immediately called the White House. As he talked, his face became white. He put down the phone and raced out of the door to his car.
Truman arrived at the White House within minutes. An assistant took him to the president’s private living area. Eleanor Roosevelt, the president’s wife, was waiting for him there. “Harry,” she said, “the president is dead.” Truman was shocked. He asked Mrs. Roosevelt if there was anything he could do to help her. But her reply made clear to him that his own life had suddenly changed. “Is there anything we can do for you ?” Mrs. Roosevelt asked the new president, “You are the one in trouble now.”
Truman had been a surprise choice for vice-president at the Democratic Party nominating convention in nineteen forty-four. Delegates considered several other candidates before they chose him as Roosevelt’s running mate. That was at a time when presidential candidates did not make their own choices for vice-president．
Harry Truman lacked the fame，the rich family and the strong speech-making skills of Franklin Roosevelt．He was a much simpler man．He grew up in the Midwestern state of Missouri．Truman only studied through high school but took some nighttime law school classes．He worked for many years as a farmer and a small businessman，but without much success．
Truman had long been interested in politics．When he was almost forty，he finally won several low-level positions in his home state．By nineteen thirty-four，he was popular enough in Missouri to be nominated and elected to the United States Senate. And he won re-election six years later．
Most Americans, however, knew little about Harry Truman when he became president．They knew he had close ties to the Democratic Party political machine in his home state．But they had also heard that he was a very honest man．They could see that Truman had strongly supported President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs．But they could not be sure what kind of president Truman would become．
At the center of all the action was Harry Truman．It was not long before he showed Americans and the world that he had the ability to be a good president．He was honest，strong and willing to make decisions．
【小题1】When Mrs. Roosevelt said”You are the one in trouble now”，she really meant that ．
| A．Truman’s life had suddenly changed |
| B．Truman was at the center of all the action |
| C．Truman was a surprise choice for vice-president |
| D．Truman had close ties to the Democratic Party |
| A．decided by delegates |
| B．recommended by presidential candidates |
| C．chosen by the Democratic Party |
| D．elected by vice-president |
| A．for ten years | B．before he was forty |
| C．before 1943 | D．for two terms |
| A．An Unforgettable Afternoon |
| B．Vital Telephone Call Makes a Difference |
| C．Truman Makes His Decisions |
| D．Roosevelt’s Death Makes Truman President |